Deerfield Village Center panel eyes mission

Result may be to cut red tape for businesses

Deerfield's Village Center Development Commission is looking at reinventing itself, and may end up removing a layer of red tape for new businesses.

The commission was formed in the 1970s, when local leaders were contemplating large-scale downtown redevelopment, said Kathy LeVeque, associate planner for the village. That effort was completed in the early 2000s.

In recent years, the commission turned to helping spruce up Deerfield's downtown. It has administered a facade improvement program, arranged for local businesses to purchase reduced-rate flowers that are coordinated by a village-contracted landscaper, and performed an annual spring walk to look for improvements to the business district. It also is a required stop for businesses that need a special-use permit, along with separate trips to the Plan Commission and Appearance Review Commission, LeVeque said.

Village Center Development Commission members are split on whether it's important to bring business owners in front of the commission, she said. Some members favor only requiring an appearance by large-scale downtown developments, sparing smaller commercial ventures the time and money.

"It might save an applicant a couple of weeks, depending on the dates of the meeting," LeVeque said. "And it would save them one meeting they'd have to have their consultants come to."

Deerfield Mayor Harriet Rosenthal said she supports easing the process for new businesses to open, but is leaving the decision up to the commission.

"If it streamlines the approval process along the way, that's great," Rosenthal said. "We want to be as business friendly as we can without compromising what we do.

"I think when we were looking at entire tracts of land, they [the VCDC and Plan Commission] each had a different purpose," Rosenthal said. "But at this point I think some of it is duplicative."

But there is likely still a place for the VCDC in coordinating entertainment events that draw shoppers and customers downtown, she said.

Rosenthal met with the panel in early April to suggest redefining its mission.

"Their charter was really to help with the redevelopment of downtown," Rosenthal said. "And now, actually most of downtown has been redeveloped. So I was just wanting to discuss with them whether they felt there was enough for them to do, whether they wanted to stay the way they are or whether they want to do something different."

The commission will pick up the discussion at its June meeting. Any changes to its focus would require the approval of the mayor and the Village Board, LeVeque said.